AI between us – redefining the clinician-patient relationship
Recommended for: All attendees
Recommended for: Family physicians, specialists, nurses and nurse practitioners, clinic managers and clinic staff. Open to all attendees interested in the topic.
Artificial intelligence is transforming more than clinical documentation, it is reshaping how physicians and patients communicate, build trust, and partner in care. Join a family physician and researcher, an OntarioMD’s physician peer leader , and a patient partner as they explore how AI tools, including AI scribes and patient-facing clinical notes, can enhance engagement, improve understanding of care plans and support better health outcomes. Through real-world examples and emerging evidence, this panel will examine the opportunities, challenges and ethical considerations of integrating AI into primary care, while offering practical insights into using technology to strengthen—not replace—the human connection at the heart of patient care.
Learning objectives
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Assess the implications of patient use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools on communication, trust and shared decision-making.
- Identify common sources of AI-generated health misinformation and strategies to address them in clinical practice.
- Examine the impact of direct-to-patient AI technologies and marketing on patient expectations, engagement and care decisions.
- Apply practical approaches to strengthen patient engagement, improve health literacy and maintain trust in an AI-enabled care environment.
Speakers:
- Iris Gorfinkel, MD, Family Physician and Researcher, PrimeHealth Clinical Research
- Sydney Graham, Patient Partner, OntarioMD
Moderator:
Keith Thompson, MD, Physician Peer Leader, OntarioMD
Presenter Bios:
Iris Gorfinkel, MD
Iris Gorfinkel is a family physician, founder and principal investigator of PrimeHealth Clinical Research. She has participated in over 60 clinical trials with a focus on vaccines and is a regular health contributor to CBC Radio One, The Toronto Star and Corus Media.
Sydney Graham
Sydney Graham has worked in Health care for over 30 years as an Engagement Specialist and Educator with expertise across the continuum, including years working in Mental Illness and Addiction. She teaches both providers, patients and families how to effectively partner for better quality, safety, efficiencies and improved outcomes. Sydney’s extensive lived experience complements the work she does with Hospitals, Government Agencies, Community Care, Academia, Research, Non- Profits and patients and families. She is also a Counsellor, Life Coach and CBT & DBT Skills Coach. Sydney has been trained across Canada and in the United States, in intensive Patient and Family Centred Care. Notable work:
• Peer Support Manager at Families for Addiction Recovery, Canada
• A Patient Partner at OntarioMD
• Advisory member of the Global Patient and Family Advisory Board (GPFAB)
• University of Toronto, IHPME, Patient Engagement Consultant
• Lead Family Advisor at The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
Keith Thompson, MD
Dr. Thompson is a London-based Family Physician, a graduate of UWO Schulich School of Medicine in 1987, completing his CCFP in 1989 and awarded Fellowship Canadian College Family Practice in 2005.
He is Adjunct Community Based Faculty Research Eligible Clinical Professor with the Dept. Family Medicine. He is active in his solo practice serving ~ 2800 patients. He recently became interested in the innovation technologies relevant to Primary Care. Dr. Thompson would describe his encounters with Innovations as an “experience that has rekindled his passion for Family Medicine and Patient-Centered Care.”
He was one of the initial Canadian Physicians hired to consult with the Teladoc/BestDoctors Canada start-up team in February of 2018. He is CMO for iTelemed, a nonprofit company innovating in virtual care programs within the public-funded Health systems in Ontario.
He maintains an active networking relationship with numerous Health technology startups but also with numerous Industry leaders in Virtual care.
He is currently involved in 2 research surveys on Virtual care in Primary care settings with UWO Dept. Family Medicine.
He is a current member of the Primary Care Digital Health working group for the Western Ontario OHT.
He is Member C.D.Howe Institute external reviews for Virtual care and member Dig Health Canada.
He is a recent member of the Association for Corporate Growth Toronto Chapter and Digital Health Canada.
Date
- Oct 01 2026
Time
- 11:15 am - 12:00 pm
